Farmers begin 8-day padayatra for Avinashi-Athikadavur project

COIMBATORE: The KongunaduMakkalDesiyaKatchi has dusted off and brought to the limelight the much-delayed Avinashi-Athikadavu Flood Canal Project after it was kept in cold storage for the past one-and-half years. The party on Sunday launched a padayatra, led by its general secretary E R Eswaran, demanding the state and central governments to implement the project at the earliest.

The Rs1,862 project envisages diversion of surplus flood water from the Bhavani river to tanks and ponds in Coimbatore, Tirupur and Erode districts. As per the plan, 2,000 cusecs of surplus water will be diverted to feed as many as 71 tanks and 538 ponds in Karamadai, Annur, Avinashi, Puliampatti, Palladam and Perundurai areas. Experts say this project is not just to mitigate the effects of flood but also to help in recharging the groundwater level.

Official sources said that the state government is planning to implement the project by getting assistance under the Flood Management Programme, a central and state shared scheme implemented in the ratio of 75:25.

Farmers in Coimbatore, Tirupur and Erode districts are demanding speedy implementation of this project as the groundwater level is depleting and pointed out that the project is necessary to encourage agriculture.

However, political parties in the region allege that the government was not sincere in implementing the project.

On Sunday, cadres of Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi led by its general secretary E R Eswaran started a padayatra from Karamadai demanding implementation of the project.

"We are carrying out protests and rallies to bring it to the notice of the chief minister," he said. The rally would conclude at Perundurai on August 11 by covering a distance of 186 km.

Functionaries of various struggle committees affiliated to different parties said the project is necessary to recharge the groundwater table.

"During every assembly and parliamentary elections both the DMK and AIADMK made poll promises, assuring voters this project will be implemented but nothing has happened," G K Nagaraj, general secretary of Kongunadu Munnetra Kazhagam, another regional political party said. According to him, both the state and central governments should be steadfast in implementing the project and should think across political boundaries.

In 2102, the state government released Rs 30 lakh to begin the preliminary survey work for the project.

Source: http://tinyurl.com/owrnpar